National Family Health History Day

Make health a topic of conversation this holiday. As Americans come together to give thanks and feast, the Surgeon General encourages them to talk about health conditions (like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes) that may run in their families. This initiative —National Family Health History Day — has been declared every Thanksgiving since 2004.

The Surgeon General, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, launched the national public health campaign to encourage all families to learn more about their health history — so younger generations can learn more about genetic predispositions and take preventive measures.

Learn more about the “Family Health Portrait,” a tool created to help patients organize family history information to share with their physicians.